Multiple Sclerosis afflicts 400,000 Americans and can cause, among other symptoms, painful muscle cramping. And, for years, MS patients have said that toking helps ease that pain. A new 30-patient study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that their anecdotal evidence may just be spot-on.

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The human body naturally produces Cannabinoids, which play a role in controlling muscle spasticity—how taut the muscle is at rest—by binding to associated receptors on the muscle cells. This small-scale test administered a real J once a day for three days and a single placebo once a day on three separate days (side note: how effective is a placebo joint when you can tell when you don't get high off it?), then had an independent party test the patients' spasticity. The found that spasticity levels dropped roughly 30 percent after smoking a real joint versus the placebo.

"We've heard from patients that marijuana helps their spasticity, but I think a lot us thought, ‘Well, it's probably just making you feel good,'" said Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, the lead researcher on the new study. "I think this study shows that yes, (marijuana) may help with spasticity, but at a cost." That cost apparently includes "fatigue and dizziness, " according to Fox News, and presumably feelings of euphoria, contentment, and temporary stress relief as well.[Fox News - Image: Ian R]

What's the last thing you think of finding in a Walmart? Besides thin white people not addicted to meth. That's right, rattle snakes. But 47-year-old Mica Craig recently found one in the Clarkson, WA Walmart gardening department. Attached to his hand.

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When reaching for a bag of mulch destined for his cannabis cultivation, "the [rattle]snake stretched out, turned around and got its fangs in my right hand. I slung it off and I did a tap dance on it until it was dead," he recounted to Reuters. He was immediately rushed to a hospital and pumped with six vials of anti-venom as his had swelled to the size of a honeydew, the snake remained dead. Walmart has since apologized for the "isolated incident."[The Register - Image: Heiko Kiera / Shutterstock]